Western Sydney Philharmonic (WestPhil)
Western Sydney Philharmonic (WestPhil) was launched in 2022 by Patron Kim Williams AM. Its mission is to build an advanced orchestral training program of national significance providing a pathway for talented young musicians to work alongside the very best professional musicians in Sydney and Australia in performance projects.
To date, WestPhil has given more than 200 talented and committed high school and early tertiary students, predominantly from western Sydney, the opportunity to perform and receive advanced orchestral and chamber music instruction from some of the most esteemed performers in the country, including the opportunity to showcase their skill in public performances alongside their mentors.
In addition to Mozart's Requiem, highlights for the 2024 season include a Chamber Orchestra Project directed by the talented violinist Peter Clark, a Brass and Wind Project with renowned conductor Fabian Russell, who will also conduct a June Symphonic Program featuring the world-famous piano soloist Alexander Gavrylyuk, along with workshops by the Australian String Quartet and Chroma Quartet.
With the support of a City of Parramatta Capacity Building Grant, WestPhil has entered into a partnership with Western Sydney University (WSU) as hosts, and the Music Teachers’ Assoc. of NSW (MTANSW), to pilot a grass roots community-based education program commencing the second half of 2024 for primary school students from the local LGA. The program is truly unique in the way it not only looks to nurture the next generation of performers and audience from their earliest musical steps, with composition and ensemble training at its core, but also create pathways and opportunities for teachers in the region; supporting and fostering their development as WestPhil Affiliate Teachers.
With generous support from the James N. Kirby Foundation, WestPhil has also partnered with the NSW Service for the Treatment and Rehabilitation of Torture and Trauma Survivors (STARTTS) and the MTANSW to pilot a 6-month initiative aimed at creating a local pathway to a future in music for talented children and young people who are refugees and victims of torture and trauma and are rebuilding their lives in Western Sydney. As part of the initiative, STARTTS will train participating teachers and the MTA in an effective pedagogical approach for the participating students and their communities. Participating students receive either free or heavily discounted tuition and instruments, and participating teachers assured payment and support, while being part of a vibrant community focused and engaged program that will be documented over the 6 months by a prominent film maker.
